ecorp Launches E-Commerce in WAP Venture

ecorp, the Internet arm of Australian
media company Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, has partnered with
mobile phone producer Nokia to provide
content and e-commerce facilities through Nokia’s 7110 phone.

Under the deal, ecorp will provide 7110 users with access to auction
site eBay Australia and ticket vendor
Ticketek, both companies ecorp at
least partly owns.

At eBay, 7110 users will be able to browse through and bid on the more
than 1.3 million items available to PC users, and will be able to browse
event schedules and purchase tickets through Ticketek’s site.

Ticktek’s facility will not be online until March, however ecorp is
launching content services in the interim.

Australian portal ninemsn, a
joint venture between ecorp and Microsoft, will provide access to
general and investment news, a movie guide and horoscopes. ecorp will add
sports scores and a television guide in March, and will continue to roll
out other content and services throughout the year.

According to ecorp, the partnership fits within the company’s push to
make its content available from wherever it is possible to access the
Internet.

“This move takes us toward our vision to supply content and
services anywhere, any time and on any device,” said ecorp executive
chairman Daniel Petre. “Using the new Nokia WAP phones is the first step.”

7110 Users can select the content they wish to receive by visiting ninemsn’s mobile
content subsite, from similar subsites at eBay and Ticketek, or from
their phone.

The 7110 is receives content through the Wireless Application Protocol
(WAP) a specification Nokia assisted in developing. The phone itself has a
‘microbrowser’ through which users can access the Internet, and has an
email facility.